The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has published a thematic review of high-growth firms operating in or from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), focusing on the drivers of rapid expansion and the risks that can emerge when growth outpaces firms’ resources and control frameworks. The report assesses impacts across financial resources, systems and controls, processes and staffing, and sets out recommendations alongside examples of good practice. The DFSA defined “high-growth” as rapid growth in scale and or complexity during 2021–2024 relative to peers, using existing regulatory reporting to select firms for further assessment, including desk-based work and onsite visits and calls. The review highlights recurring weaknesses such as compliance resourcing not keeping pace with expanding activities, limited management information to monitor the impact of new growth areas, and instances where regulatory business plans were not sufficiently detailed or kept current, including failures to notify the DFSA of certain expansion-related changes. Good practices included early engagement with the DFSA on growth plans, incremental launches of new products and services, governance enhancements (including new committees and structured project governance for licence upgrades), and proactive investment in key resources ahead of growth initiatives. The DFSA expects firms to consider the report’s themes in the context of their own business models and obligations, and notes that firms may be asked in future supervisory engagements to demonstrate how they have addressed the identified areas.

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